The Job
by jesphoenix05
Summary: Tsukushi fresh out of Eitoku College is looking for her dream job but if she thought that school was weird she ain’t seen nothin’ yet! Did she bite off more than she can chew? Nah! This is Tsukushi! The girl that took on the F4!
1. The interview

**The Job**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Boys over Flowers, Yugioh and Rurouni Kenshin.

Summary: Tsukushi is looking for her dream job…she may have bitten off more than she can chew…Nah! This is Tsukushi! The girl that took on the F4!

**The Job…**

**Chapter 1: The Interview...**

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August 22, 2003

To whom it may concern:

Ms. Tsukushi Makino is an enthusiastic and self-motivated individual who constantly strives to meet and exceed expectations. She is extremely loyal and hardworking. She is easy to work with and her creative talents and unique experience make her an asset for any company. It has been an honor to work with her and I am certain she will go far if given the opportunity.

(Signed) _Aoshi Shinomori_

CEO/Owner of Oniwaban Protective Services and Shinomori Electronics

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Tsukushi took another deep calming breath as she re-read Mr. Shinomori's letter of recommendation drawing a great deal of pride and confidence in her ex-boss' simple praise. After all he was not an easy man to impress! Last year she had interned with Shinomori Electronics in his personal staff at the Tokyo offices of the company. She had been a little intimidated by the thought of working for him especially since he seemed to be the only person on earth that could cause the F4 to run for their lives just at the mention of his name!

'The look on their faces was priceless!' she recalled with amusement. Tsukasa had blanched when the towering form of Mr. Shinomori had appeared at her cubicle while she was finishing up for the day. Pride was the only thing that had kept Tsukasa from running as fast as his legs could carry him! That and the fact that Tsukushi didn't seem at all intimidated by Shinomori kept him put while the others made a bee line for the lobby.

She was surprised to see Rui running faster than all of them! Then she remembered he had dated Misao Makimachi – Aoshi's fiancée – briefly in high school and their relationship had ended with Rui getting the snot beat out of him by Misao! No surprise since Rui had a tendency to get lost in his daydreaming and not pay people much attention which resulted in some very heartbroken and disappointed girls – Tsukushi her self included! However Misao Makimachi had responded to his falling asleep while she was talking by beating the crap out of poor Rui!

'People aren't always what they seem!' she reflected of the petit and cheerful Misao as she waited in the lobby of Kaiba Corp for her interview with Seto Kaiba. People had warned her that Shinomori was a scary psycho and to stay as far away as possible but when she actually met him she found him to be a very agreeable person. The guys also tried to dissuade her from coming here and interviewing with Kaiba who was also reported to be a psycho but she had shrugged those warnings off. Shinomori had been a pleasant surprise and she was willing to bet so would Kaiba be!

'I wish I could've worked there again!' Tsukushi thought as she glanced at her watch. The appointed time was still 15 min away. When school had resumed after her summer internship she had gone at it with every ounce of her being! She had earned herself enough credits to graduate before July this year however she would have to wait to receive her official diploma until the summer ceremony. She couldn't wait until then to apply however and traveled down to the Domino HQ of Shinomori Electronics and put in her application.

Unfortunately despite the fact that Mr. Shinomori called her within a week for an interview there were no openings at Shinomori Electronics that he could give her. She would've taken anything but instead he handed her the letter of recommendation and strongly suggested that she go see his friend at Kaiba Corp. Intrigued she left his office and went down to Kaiba corp. on the other end of town. The much frazzled receptionist didn't let her do anything but turn in an application and her resume along with a copy of her letter.

'They didn't even tell me what position I was applying for?' she wondered not for the first time since she'd come to Kaiba Corp. Still she went home to find a message on her machine to report the next day by 1pm for an interview with none other than Seto Kaiba. It was a bit shocking the speed of their reply but here she was in her one and only Armani suit (a Christmas present from Tsukasa) ready for anything! She was gonna get this job no matter what it was or what it took! She would not disappoint Mr. Shinomori!

She took another calming breath and reviewed what she knew about Seto Kaiba. He was a ruthless loner with an obsession with Duel Monsters competitions. He is quick to anger and over-zealous about the protection of his turf. His adopted father jumped out the top most window of Kaiba Corp tower when Seto staged a successful coup and took over the company at the tender age of 14!

He transformed the company from weapons manufacture to electronic games engineering. He would be 17 soon and so far the video games and consoles his company produces have received international acclaim. From all the things she was able to find out last night he almost seemed like a younger version of Aoshi Shinomori!

"Ms. Makino would you please follow me?" a very nervous looking young woman said snapping Tsukushi out of her reveries and putting her into full go-getter mode! She snapped up from her seat and boldly followed the poor frazzled woman past the security guards desks that surrounded Kaiba's office towards the large double doors that she was certain Seto Kaiba's office. She took a quick look around the room and nodded in a professional manner to the serious and tough-looking men that looked up from the various desks.

"Ms Makino? This way please!" A man with an earpiece radio who introduced himself as Roland took over at the door to Kaiba's office much to the woman's relief and she fled back to her desk by the elevator. He knocked and announced Tsukushi's presence then opened the door for her and led her inside.

While Roland led her to the large oak desk where Kaiba was busy intently reading something on his computer screen she took a moment to notice everything around her. A little boy who seemed about twelve years old was sitting at a small desk working on what looked like his school work. He looked up and smiled at her and automatically she smiled back. She turned then as Roland introduced her and she boldly stepped forward and extended her hand.

"Thank you for seeing me today Mr. Kaiba!" she greeted in a calm professional manner. He returned her greeting tersely and shook her hand firmly not bothering to get up from his desk. He indicated that she take a seat as he went back to intently scanning his computer screen. She did and was about to begin her rehearsed speech when he fired his first question with an insult.

"Eitoku has nothing but a bunch of spoiled useless idiots spilling out of its halls! Why should I hire you?" he shot out with undisguised disdain. She had expected this Mr. Shinomori had said something similar though he had used far more tact!

"Well first of all you're right! Eitoku does have a lot of spoiled overindulged brats infesting its halls! But Eitoku is a superior school academically and I earned every credit I received with plenty of good old fashioned hard work! I worked two part time jobs since high school to pay my tuition and help my family!" she declared proudly but didn't stop long enough for Seto to interject.

"So everything in my resume I have earned on my own! It was not purchased as is the case with many Eitoku graduates! However I must point that not all of Eitoku's alumni are idiots despite the fact that they _are_ brats! There is a difference!" she concluded smartly. Seto regarded her stoically turned to his computer screen scanned for something! Tsukushi wished she could see what it was!

"Yes I'm well aware of your long acquaintance with the so called F4 and your relationship with Domyoji," he retorted completely unimpressed. "Despite their records they are still useless spoiled idiots as far as anyone can tell," he added with condescension. It hurt to admit it but it was true! Compared to a successful teenage CEO like Seto they really were spoiled useless brats that spent way too much time planning their next vacation then doing any real work! But they were her friends and she was going to say something on their behalf just the same!

"Yes I'll admit that they are spoiled brats but if they hadn't pushed me the way they did I wouldn't be the woman I am today!" she began solemnly. Seto looked up from his computer intrigued.

"When I started at Eitoku I wanted nothing more than to remain invisible. To just blend in with the crowd and do nothing that would set me apart! But by making me a mark they forced to become more. They forced me to be a stronger person! There is no job I can't tackle! No challenge I can't rise to thanks to the strength and confidence I gained in the years that I've known them!" she declared passionately. To her surprise Seto smirked amused exchanged a quick glance with his little brother as the boy left his desk and headed towards Seto's desk. He became serious again.

"Ok then answer this: Why in the world did you agree to participate in something as _ridiculous_ as Miss Teen Japan?" he asked again with that disdain in his voice. By now the little boy she'd smiled at before (whom Tsukushi guessed must be Mokuba Kaiba) had moved over to stand next to his big brother. Somehow that took away some of the young CEO's edge. She was certain she was blushing as she replied. Mr. Shinomori didn't think much of beauty pageants either despite him being friends with the current Miss Universe: Ms. Kaoru Kamiya!

"Well I really had little choice in the matter!" she began and recounted the awful mistake her father had made in borrowing money from a loan shark then losing it all at the tracks. Mokuba cringed in sympathy.

"Of course it took me a while but I did repay Tsukasa! And without falling behind in either my studies or my tuition payments!" she concluded proudly. Seto smirked once more then as Tsukushi was rearing up to tell him all the reasons he should hire her!

"Relax Ms. Makino! You already have the job!" he countered then with a short chuckle. "When I first got your file I didn't think much of you but when I saw your letter of recommendation I gave Aoshi a call and he thought you'd fit in well…"

"Mr. Kaiba not to be rude or ungrateful but what position exactly did I just get?" she interrupted much relieved that she'd passed muster. He smiled wider with a touch of mischief that worried Tsukushi for a second.

"As of today you are my Executive Assistant Ms. Makino," he announced and chuckled at the shocked look on Tsukushi's face. She hadn't expected to get such a high position straight out of college!

"I don't have VPs for any division of the company anymore so those duties are split between my self and my Executive Assistant. However my assistants don't seem to last very long. They buckle under the pressure too quickly but for someone who held two jobs all through school it should be a breeze right?" he challenged and Tsukushi smiled intent on rising to this rich boy's challenge.

"You're right! A breeze!" she replied with an assertive nod. He smirked and shrugged.

"We'll see..." he said then finally introduced his cheerful little brother. He was the exact opposite of his uber-intense older brother in practically every way! He bounced cheerfully towards her as she got up from her seat and shook her hand with a big happy smile on his face.

"Come on I'll show you your office!" he suggested happily. She nodded and smiled as she picked up her brief case and turned to leave.

"Oh Ms. Makino! I'm hiring you solely based on Aoshi's recommendation! Do not disappoint me!" he added ominously as she stopped and turned back towards him for a moment. She nodded seriously.

"Mr. Kaiba hiring me is the best decision you've made today! I _won't_ disappoint you! You'll see!" she retorted exuding confidence. She turned then and followed Mokuba out the door.

'I'll make it big here! I can feel it!' Tsukushi thought excitement building up inside her as Mokuba introduced her to the security personnel as they left his brother's office…

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Well I've been hooked on Boys over Flowers lately and as I was planning out the second half of "To be the Strongest" and it's Seto Kaiba centered sequel this story sort of developed. It's supposed to be a bridge between the two in a sort of third person perspective…

Tsukushi is just the right person to tackle running Kaiba Corp with Seto. She's strong-willed and smart without being pushy or ruthless! Plot-wise the story is simple…the ups and downs of corporate life complicated by the fact that she's dealing with some very strange teenagers!

Thanks for reading and reviewing!


	2. Initiation

**The Job**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Boys over Flowers, Yugioh and Rurouni Kenshin.

**AUTHOR NOTE:** the date on the letter of recommendation is back dated to the last day of Tsukushi's internship at Shinomori Electronics. The year is 2004 when she applies at Kaiba corp. and she is hired in late January.

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**Chapter 2: Initiation**

* * *

Mokuba walked her through the desks of the security personnel introducing her to each one then finally back down the long hallway to the other side of the penthouse level of Kaiba corp. There he formally introduced her in her new capacity to Lynn: the frazzled receptionist how was doubling as Mr. Kaiba's executive secretary.

"Welcome aboard Ms. Makino…" Lynn replied with a sad look on her face her tone suggesting she felt sorry for Tsukushi not happy. That worried Tsukushi for a second but she was determined to put her best foot forward. Tsukushi smiled confidently.

"It's nice to meet you Lynn! I'm glad to be here!" she retorted confidently. Mokuba frowned at Lynn but the overworked girl went back to her tasks exchanging the usual pleasantries. She reluctantly let Tsukushi know what her extension was if she needed anything. Mokuba informed her Lynn had been doubling for Seto's secretary because the last one quit in less then a week.

'Poor girl! He does go through them quick though!' Tsukushi thought as Mokuba led her away to show her the code she would need to punch in to gain access from the elevator to the Presidential offices of Kaiba Corp. It was a simple four digit code and she committed it to memory before they moved on.

"But Lynn can buzz you in when she's here!" Mokuba added as they passed Lynn's desk in its spot near the double glass doors just before the elevator. He pointed out the little waiting area where she had waited for her interview. To her own surprise she found herself already thinking ways to alleviate some of the work load the receptionist was having to shoulder while she could find a competent replacement for the secretary Seto should have.

'I suppose I might need one too…' she thought as Mokuba showed her the big conference room where once a month Seto had a meeting with the department heads for the status reports. He led her then to her office and she realized that it made sense that Mr. Kaiba would have the rep of a merciless hard ass considering how often the Kaiba bros were subjected to assassination attempts, kidnappings and saboteurs he would have to be pretty rough.

'But there _is_ another side to him!' she also realized that whenever little Mokuba was near him he softened just a little in the same way Mr. Shinomori had when Misao was around. Seto Kaiba was one of the good guys she just had to get him to trust her first.

'And the only way to do that is by surviving whatever ruthless initiation he has in store for me!' she determined as Mokuba opened the door to her new office. The desk was buried under weeks worth of files and un-read reports. Boxes with more files and old reports littered the floor making it nearly impossible for anyone to walk in normally.

"Sorry we haven't been able to clean it yet! The last guy left without saying anything! I thought he was just on vacation until he faxed in his resignation!" Mokuba chuckled as Tsukushi gaped at the disheveled office. For a moment she wondered if she'd bitten off more than she could chew but then she recalled all the hard times she lived through when the F4 first targeted her.

How many times was her stuff stolen, her uniform ruined, her books damaged. She endured and triumphed over countless humiliations! And how about all those times she barely escaped being raped or the time those guys dragged her around tied to the back of their convertible. Tsukushi nodded and wadded past all the boxes and stacks of files on the floor purposefully towards her new desk.

"Well looks like I have my work cut out for me!" she declared with a determined look on her face. Tsukushi Makino was **_not_** a quitter! She had not backed down then when everyone had been against her and she most certainly would not back down _now_!

'Especially when there are people like Mr. Shinomori expecting me to succeed!' she thought as she dug carefully through the piles looking for the phone.

"Ok first I have to make a few phone calls…I didn't realize I'd start today I'll have to send for a few things, quit my old jobs, figure out where I'm gonna stay…" she muttered to herself running a list of the things she would need as she located the phone and asked Mokuba if she needed to dial any special digits to dial outside numbers.

"No just dial directly…and you can stay in the company housing complex. The E.A.'s penthouse is vacant and fully furnished!" Mokuba suggested cheerfully as he waded through the office and towards her desk.

"Perfect! Thank you Mr. Mokuba! I will definitely do that!" she replied cheerfully and dialed the number. The little boy smiled he seemed to be just bursting with cheer. Tsukushi thought for a second of Ms. Misao and how the two seemed to have similar personalities. It was interesting the parallels her mind was finding between the Kaiba Bros and the Shinomori family.

"Still I'll need some of my things…" she thought out loud as the phone rang and her mother answered. It took a good 5 min to calm her mother down after telling her she got the job. As she tried to tell her mother what she needed Tsukushi wondered if her mother would remember anything while she was busy counting in her head all the money her daughter would receive!

'Oh I'm sure I'll have to go buy whatever she forgot!' Tsukushi sighed and shook her head. Finally after listening to more celebratory ruckus from her family she hung up the phone feeling exhausted. Her family had that effect on her sometimes! Mokuba giggled slightly as he watched her.

"My family is a bunch of nuts!" she laughed tiredly. Mokuba laughed loudly. She picked up the phone once more and called her friend Yuki. Yuki predictably shrieked her ear off with her congratulations and immediately agreed to check up on her parents and make sure all her stuff was packed. Yuki also agreed to stop by Tsukushi's jobs and let her bosses know she wasn't coming back.

"I'll try to call them later too but thank you Yuki! I'll see you soon then!" she called out cheerfully to her best friend and hung up the phone once more.

"I have one more thing to show you!" he added and walked to a door on the side of the office. Tsukushi bent down to help him move the boxes that blocked the door.

"This is Seto's private meeting room!" Mokuba explained as they walked into a room about half the size of the conference room he had showed her earlier. He explained that only the most sensitive meetings or negotiations were held in this room because it was the most secure room in the building. It had a large monitor mounted on the wall near the door they had just come through with a U-shaped table in the center facing it.

There was a small kitchen at the back of the room and Tsukushi walked towards it to examine it. Mokuba pulled out two sodas from the fridge as Mokuba opened it she took a look inside then a quick browse on the shelves. There was nothing in the pantry or the fridge except for junk food and microwave meals! Stuff only kids would eat! However aside from the microwave oven it had a very state of the art stove and oven, a dishwasher even a rice cooker and they all looked like they had never been used.

"I'm the only one who comes in here now! But whenever Seto calls you… you can use this room as a shortcut to his office!" Mokuba added explaining that Kaiba corp.'s big five used it often but Seto rarely used it anymore because it was too small. He handed one soda to Tsukushi and opened his letting her know she could help herself to whatever was in the kitchen. She smiled.

"Thanks Mr. Mokuba but if you don't mind I would like to contribute a few things to the kitchen. I can't live on microwave meals! I'll crash!" she suggested jovially.

"Sure!" Mokuba shrugged. She looked around the room some more and realized that there was also a door on the opposite side of the room near the kitchen that led directly to Seto Kaiba's office. She caught a glimpse of him studying his computer screen intently before Mokuba hurriedly closed the door.

"Ooops! Big brother doesn't like his door to be open! I must've forgotten to close it when I was in here for lunch!" Mokuba explained embarrassedly.

"That's good to know! I'll remember to close the door behind me every time I leave his office!" Tsukushi replied solemnly "anything else I need to know before I get started?" she asked. Mokuba turned serious and quiet as he thought about it.

"Some guys in the past tried to treat Seto like a dumb little kid! Big brother is a kid but he is **_not_** dumb!" he began in a resentful tone that went straight to Tsukushi's heart!

"And some women he's hired have tried to boss us around like they're our mother!" he added indignantly but Tsukushi stopped him before he could start the rampage she could see building in his eyes and his tone.

"Mr. Mokuba first of all I know very well that your brother is _not_ dumb! You can't be dumb if you're as successful as he is! That is obvious!" she began gravely but Mokuba relaxed so she continued.

"Second: I was not hired to be anyone's mother! I was hired to be an Executive Assistant to Mr. Kaiba and I plan to be the best assistant he has ever had!" she declared proudly. Mokuba smiled with relief so she decided to lighten things up.

"Besides I'm too young to be anyone's mother! I'm only 21 you know! I'm not that much older than him!" she declared in a mock-scandalized tone. Mokuba laughed and Tsukushi was pleased that he was back to his cheerful self again.

"Well better get to earning my salary!" she declared jauntily.

"Yea good luck Tsukushi! And welcome to Kaiba Corp!" Mokuba called back cheerfully as she walked back to her office. She turned back and smiled.

"Thank you Mr. Mokuba! Please tell Mr. Kaiba that I'll be in my office if either of you need me! I prefer to keep my door open so feel free to walk in any time!" she stated cheerfully. Mokuba nodded and smiled back pleased. She disappeared into her office and Mokuba chuckled as she went outside and started bossing some of the security personnel into helping her move some of the boxes.

He sat there slowly drinking his soda and listening to the hustle and bustle that erupted in her office! None of Seto's E.As had ever been as lively as her. He had a feeling he was gonna like Tsukushi! She was very different from the people Seto had hired in the past. She wasn't stuck up or mean spirited but she wasn't too sweet or weak either. He laughed as Tsukushi got into an argument with Roland – the head of Kaiba Corp Security – about the reception desk but it didn't take Tsukushi long to get her way.

'I think she's gonna do just fine!' he thought and skipped back to Seto's office to report all that he had heard…

* * *

The first thing she did upon returning to her office was pull up all the blinds. She took a moment to admire the panoramic scenery provided by the huge windows in her new corner office then turned to go outside and get some help to deal with the mess in this office.

'Clean up is the first order of business!' she thought as she went outside and bullied a few of the men in the desks playing solitaire on their computers into doing a little more to earn their salary. They glared at her and didn't move at first but Tsukushi was not was not one to back down so easily. She glared right back at them and let them know just who the new sheriff in this town was. Reluctantly they got up and began moving boxes out of the way.

"Ms. Makino why are my men in here?" Roland's gruff voice asked as he stood just outside the door.

"Being productive! As opposed to sitting there playing solitaire on the computer! If they were playing a Kaiba corp. game I could see it as mildly useful but they're not!" she declared unwilling to back down on _this_ muscle man either. They were likely used to bullying the EA but if they thought they could push her around and do whatever they want they were dead wrong!

"But don't stand there Mr. Roland! Come in please I have something to discuss with you too!" she began as she gathered up reports and piled them quickly and neatly on the counter behind her desk. She explained she wanted Lynn to be replaced at the reception desk by one of his people. He could set up the rotation however he wanted but she wanted to see an armed and trained security officer at that desk and on those phones at all times.

"Ms. Makino that is not my men's job!" Roland intoned roughly glaring in annoyance at Tsukushi as he ordered his men to stop what they were doing. With her hackles raised now she refused to back down deciding to give this man a piece of her mind!

"Oh is your men's job to play solitaire on their computers all day?" she asked sarcastically.

"They are protecting Mr. Kaiba and his little brother!" Roland he retorted sounding insulted.

"Oh really? Well Mr. Roland if that is so then they are doing a _very_ poor job! As of right now the only one actively protecting the Kaiba Bros is Ms. Lynn! _She_ is the one in control of the button that lets people into this level! _She_ is the one controlling the flow of threatening phone calls! _She_ is the one who checks who sees Mr. Kaiba and why! In fact now that I think of it I should probably hand _your_ job to her since she seems to be doing a better job of it!" she lectured sternly. Roland's face was red his mouth opened and closed unable to respond. Tsukushi was on a role and she wasn't stopping now!

"Your job and the job of your men Mr. Roland is to be aware of who goes in and out of this level and to be in a position to prevent any potentially hazardous situations towards the Kaiba bros, correct?" she asked her tone suggesting clearly she knew the answer! Reluctantly Roland answered in the affirmative.

"I will inform Ms. Lynn of the changes! You may take your men now and set up your rotation!" she concluded firmly.

"I have not agreed to this!" Roland intoned in a borderline angry tone. She raised her eyebrows not surprised that he would still resist.

"Very well then Mr. Roland! Would you like to go explain to Mr. Kaiba that the only one protecting him and his little brother is Ms. Lynn! I don't he'll take that very well!" she retorted confidently. Reluctantly Roland back down. No one knew better than Roland how trigger happy Mr. Seto Kaiba could be!

"Very well Ms. Makino! We'll try it your way for now!" Roland reluctantly agreed.

"Thank you Mr. Roland!" she replied pleasantly as he walked out of the office. She hit the intercom and called Ms. Lynn into her office. She explained to Lynn the changes she was effecting and Lynn was not as enthusiastic as Tsukushi had hoped.

"I was actually going to submit my two weeks notice!" Lynn replied tiredly.

"Is it because of Mr. Kaiba?" Tsukushi asked and to her surprise Lynn smiled and shook her head.

"No actually I like working for him! I find it refreshing that he's so brutally honest!" she replied and explained she'd been doing two jobs on the pay of the lowest one with no relief in sight. She felt tired and unappreciated and that was something Tsukushi could readily agree with! Definitely not fair!

"If you'll stay Lynn I'll have you promoted to Mr. Kaiba's Executive secretary position and make sure you're retroactively compensated to the date you began doing that job!" Tsukushi intoned solemnly. Lynn mulled it over for a minute.

"And I can stop doing the front desk?" she asked tentatively. Tsukushi nodded firmly and this time Lynn smiled.

"Ok Ms. Makino! As long as Mr. Kaiba doesn't have any problems with it I accept!" Lynn said sounding a little more enthusiastic.

"Let me start moving things! I'll send some interns from the mail dept to help you clean out your office Ms. Makino!" she called back as she hurried back to the front desk to gather her work and begin moving things around. The intercom beeped and Mr. Kaiba's voice came over the speakerphone demanding her presence in his office so they could start the tour of the departments and introduce her to the heads.

'Ok time to show him what you're made of Tsukushi!' she thought determinedly and pulling her electronic agenda from her briefcase and walked purposefully to the office taking the shortcut through the small meeting room…

* * *

By the end of the day she came to realize that it wouldn't be Kaiba who would give her trouble it would be the fact that all of the department heads expected her to be gone by next week that would really make things hard for her! She had to dress down two of them because when she asked them a question instead of responding to her they looked at Mr. Kaiba and began talking to him never acknowledging that she had spoken. Boy did she let them have it! The second one had the gall to look at Mr. Kaiba to see if he would back him up but Mr. Kaiba threatened to fire him if he didn't answer her properly.

Thankfully Lynn was as good as her word! Relieved of the phones her productivity tripled and not only was she able to get Tsukushi's office cleaned but requested full fresh reports from all the departments and had them emailed to the computer on her clean desk as soon as she returned from her tour. Lynn requested the name plate for her door and desk and informed her that the building manager had the apartment ready for her when she arrived. She had also placed a new electronic agenda on her desk with a little note:

_Welcome to Kaiba corp. Ms. Makino!_

The note was signed by Mr. Kaiba himself and at first she wondered why he would underline the name of the company. She opened the box and pulled out the new one then she looked at her current notebook and realized it said "SE" (as in Shinomori Electronics!) in silver letters. Her new one had the letters "KC" on it in gold. She laughed of course her new boss wouldn't want her walking around with a competitor's electronic product! She transferred her numbers and notes on to her new one and moved on to catching up with the goings on at Kaiba corp.

By 6pm she felt herself starting to get a handle on things despite the million interruptions. Mr. Mokuba was a chatty noisy person and seemed intent on coming around to ask her a million quirky questions about herself but lucky for Tsukushi she could do more than one thing at once! She liked him being around though and didn't mind talking to him and letting him ask her his million questions. He was cheerful and pleasant even if he was noisy but after dealing with the F4 for so many years she was possessed of nearly infinite patience! During one of his cheerful interruptions the intercom beeped.

"_Ms. Makino there is a Mr. Domyojin here to see you? Should I let him in?" _came the gruff voice of one of Roland's boys.

"What? Wait I'll be right there!" she called back and hurried out of the office excusing herself from Mokuba. The little boy however followed her. When she arrived at the front desk she found two of Roland's boys glaring at someone at the door who was yelling at them. She rolled her eyes 'figures he would cause a scene!' she thought as she hurried to avert a disaster.

"Tsukasa? What are you guys doing here?" she asked incredulous still that the F4 had come all the way down from Tokyo just to see her.

"That was my question! Why are you still here? And what is it with you and working for scary psychos!" Tsukasa asked indignantly as Tsukushi let him and the rest of the F4 in.

"Hey! That's my big brother you're talking about!" Mokuba put in indignantly glaring up at Tsukasa. Tsukushi opened her mouth and was about to give Tsukasa a piece of her mind when a new voice joined them and everyone froze.

"Scary Psycho huh? I think I like it!" Mr. Kaiba said amused as he joined the ruckus at the door…

* * *

Sorry it's taking so long to put this up! This is supposed to be concurrent with the Seto story but I have to get some points down on TBS before I can put that one on so it will take a little while for me to get these chapters up!

Sorry and thank you for reading and reviewing!


	3. Enter the Dragon

**The Job**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Boys over Flowers, Yugioh, Stargate SG1 and Rurouni Kenshin.

The Rurouni Kenshin characters used here are crossed over from my AU stories** "To be the Strongest**" (Aoshi's story and where he and Seto first meet);** "The place where I belong" **(Tokio's story); **"Think of Me"** (Saito's story) and** "I want to be a Princess" **(Misao's story where Misao and Mokuba become friends). I don't know if anyone reading this is familiar with Rurouni Kenshin but in fact the only OC in ALL of my stories is in fact Victoria the means by which all my stories are tied together.

BTW if you're not familiar with Rurouni Kenshin PLEASE read it! If you loved Hana Yori Dango you will LOVE Rurouni Kenshin Wandering Samurai! Please pick up the first volume! It's written by Nobuhiro Watsuki and I guarantee you will be back for the remaining 27 volumes! You will not be able to put it down! I never cared much for period piece or historically based fiction (especially those based on Meiji era Japan or Samurai which I knew nothing about) but after Kenshin I was reborn! Trust me!

Oh Paerin ya know I didn't realize I was doing that! I was trying to show that most of the time she was yelling or speaking very loudly (after all Mokuba can hear her all the way from the other side of the conference room!)…didn't know how else to show it…still don't in fact but if you have any ideas please let me know your comments made me pause and think of other possibilities which I've implemented here but I don't know if they work yet.

Besides if you ask my friends I actually speak like that most of the time…especially when I'm drunk and I confess I was a little tipsy when I wrote the first chapters. Ahahahahahahahahahahahaha…

_Well on with the show!_

* * *

**Chapter 2: Enter the Dragon…**

* * *

"Scary Psycho huh? I think I like it," Mr. Kaiba said amused as he joined the ruckus at the door…

He asked what was going on and she proceeded to introduce him to the F4. Seto was completely unimpressed by them. They were useless morons in his book. Even Yugi and the twerps were more interesting than this useless bunch and that really wasn't saying much.

"Better be nice Tsukasa… This guy really doesn't care who we are," pointed out Rui solemnly. Seto rolled his eyes.

"What a bunch of monkeys…" he pointed out sarcastically in that tone that always got Jou riled up! Predictably enough Domyojin got riled up and tried to step up to challenge Seto. Again Seto just rolled his eyes in annoyance. His lack of response only incensed Tsukasa further.

"Alright that's enough with the testosterone overload!" Tsukushi ordered her fists on her hips. She rounded on Tsukasa.

"First of all Tsukasa you shouldn't go around calling people names in their places of business! You're lucky Mr. Kaiba doesn't toss you on your butt out in to the street!" she yelled at him. Seto smirked in slight amusement. He was starting to like the way Tsukushi stood her ground without sounding or looking like a rude ruthless cutthroat.

"Whatever… Kaiba Corp is nothing compared to the Domyojin Conglomerate…" Tsukasa retorted his injured pride forcing him to lash out in the only way he knew. Seto snorted derisively.

"A conglomerate that _you_ have no control over…**_monkey_**…" Seto countered again in his unique tone that always got a rise out of hot heads like Tsukasa.

"Again with the name calling!" Tsukushi exclaimed exasperated "I realize that Tsukasa started it Mr. Kaiba but that does not mean you have to reduce yourself to responding in kind," she lectured mildly. Seto blinked in surprise. He laughed no one ever dared to speak to him in such a tone without fearing for their lives or at least their jobs. He was certain she wasn't stupid enough not to know the consequences of crossing him which meant she was truly courageous!

'We'll see how strong you are Ms. Makino…' he thought and grinned to him self as he ignored Tsukasa's glares, mumbled threats and insults.

"Tsukushi calling people names is big brother's second favorite hobby!" Mokuba piped up cheerfully and laughed.

"A rather childish hobby…" Rui pointed out softly eyeing Seto warily. Seto stared right back at him 'well one of them has a brain at least…' he thought and decided he would keep an eye on that one.

"But then I'm just a kid…" Seto replied with mock innocence. The tone had a chilling effect that only served to worry Rui further. Sojiro and Akira shrunk back wary of Seto and his little private army of mercs and said nothing during the whole exchange.

Seto laughed happy to be in control of the situation. It didn't matter that the F4 had more money than he did and it was true that the only company that could rival Domyojin right now was Shinomori Electronics Corp in Japan and Stillwater Enterprises in the US. But the one wielding the real power right here right now was him: Seto Kaiba the Dragon Lord of Kaiba Crop! Thus nicknamed for his obsession with dragons…

'And that's just the way I like it,' Seto thought to himself feeling triumphant then turned a serious look on Tsukushi.

"I won't be in the office until after lunch tomorrow and Mokuba will be picked up by Aoshi and Misao after school. He will spend the weekend with them," he intoned gravely.

"Please give Mr. Shinomori my regards and please tell him that I'll write soon to thank him Mr. Kaiba," she replied amicably trying not to laugh at the slightly pale look on Rui's face at the mention of Shinomori. Seto smirked slightly.

"I wouldn't write that thank you note just yet Ms. Makino but sure I'll give Aoshi your regards… I trust my company won't fall apart while I'm gone right Ms. Makino?" he taunted lightly. Tsukushi drew herself up proudly.

"Of course not… Everything will be just fine when you return Mr. Kaiba," she replied seriously. He smirked slightly and putting an arm around his little brother he, Mokuba and Roland plus two more bodyguards got in the elevator. They all left without another word except for Mokuba who called a cheerful good bye to Tsukushi and stuck his tongue out in child like fashion to Tsukasa. Tsukushi laughed and winked at Mokuba as the doors to the elevator closed.

"All right! Go get your stuff! We're heading back to Tokyo!" Tsukasa ordered roughly. Tsukushi gave him a stern look and turned towards her office.

"I will **_not_** go back…This job is a great opportunity and I refuse to pass it up," she replied calmly as they all walked back to her office. Sojiro and Akira slipped away to go hit on Lynn who was gathering her things to go home for the day. Rui followed quietly and Tsukasa continued to argue that working for Kaiba was dangerous as they entered her new spacious office.

"It can't be any more dangerous than going to school while being targeted by the F4!" Tsukushi yelled at him finally tired of listening to his warnings leveling Tsukasa with a challenging glare. Rui put a firm hand on Tsukasa's shoulder.

"Tsukasa I think Tsukushi can handle this… she will be fine," he interjected calmly giving Tsukushi an encouraging smile.

"It's a mistake!" Tsukasa insisted stubbornly but the edge of anger that was on his voice before was gone now.

"If it is then it is my mistake to make but I know this is the place for me Tsukasa," she added tiredly "just trust me…"

Rui smirked and nodded looking straight into her eyes. Tsukasa grumbled a little but finally relented. Sojiro and Akira returned saying that Lynn had totally shot them down all with a polite smile on her pretty face. Tsukushi laughed along with Rui and Tsukasa and just like that they were her usual bunch of eclectic friends again.

Lynn came into her office to let her know she was leaving and that she'd start looking for a secretary for her tomorrow. She already had a couple of interviews set up for tomorrow morning. Relieved of the double duties Lynn was turning out to be an awesome secretary! She was glad she'd had that screaming match with Roland earlier. She had a feeling Lynn would be a great asset and an excellent ally to have. She laughed as Lynn with extreme politeness slammed the door on Akira's attempts to seduce her _again_ and walked away.

'This is my destiny I know it…' she thought happily as she gathered her new laptop – another gift from Mr. Kaiba – and her electronic agenda. She was a little surprised to see two bodyguards at her door informing her that they were her security detail assigned by Mr. Kaiba.

"Our job is to see that you get to and from home and the office safely each day Ms. Makino," intoned seriously as his partner studied the four men in Tsukushi's office with suspicion. She laughed as Tsukasa grumbled angrily at the bodyguard studying him protesting that he was not a criminal and did not deserve to be watched like he was one.

"Your car is waiting for you downstairs Ms. Makino if you are ready," he concluded handing her keys to her new apartment. She smiled as the second bodyguard moved in solemnly and shouldered her briefcase and her laptop bag then waited for her to be ready to leave.

'COOL!' she thought feeling like she was on top of the world!

"Well look at Tsukushi! She's top dog now," Sojiro declared with a proud smile getting up from the couch in her office to put an arm around her shoulders.

"You go Tsukushi!" cheered Akira. Tsukasa still didn't look happy but didn't say anything.

"Ok let's go see my apartment guys!" she invited cheerfully and walked out with her new mini entourage…

* * *

As the door to the elevator closed Seto pondered his choice of new E.A. She was _very _different from the females he was accustomed to dealing with until recently. Most of the ones he'd dealt with before we're either: useless ditzes, patronizing morons or ruthless psychos. But as soon as he met Aoshi and his friends he realized there was another type out there.

'I guess they're not all ditzy cheerleaders like Anzu or ruthless cutthroats like Mai…' he said to himself finding that thought somewhat comforting.

"Do you have to go to school tomorrow big brother?" Mokuba asked interrupting his train of thought.

"Yes Mokuba…Sensei insists I start going once a week…" he replied with a resigned sigh explaining his new teacher wanted him to experience high school. Mokuba merely smiled cheerfully and asked no further questions.

'Now there's another odd female!' Seto thought of his new martial arts teacher. Victoria Stillwater the owner/CEO of Victoria's Secret and Stillwater Enterprises was a famous model from the late sixties and early seventies who had launched a revolutionary line of lingerie that was renowned the world over. Every woman in the world coveted fashions made by "Victoria's Secret"; every man in the world coveted her very famous catalogue.

What few people knew was that it was _she_ who taught Aoshi and his friends martial arts. It was _she _who guided Aoshi and his friends to victory in the Olympics of 96. It was _she_ who helped Aoshi take down Gozaburo's partner: Kanryu Takeda and their black market arms dealing empire just months before Seto staged his coup against Gozaburo.

Few people really understood how dangerous she was until they got on her bad side. Her eyes were possessed of an intelligence that was matched only by her astonishing physical beauty despite her age. She certainly didn't appear to be someone in her late fifties or early sixties! She was an easy person to underestimate because of how elegant and poised she was and how wise and maternal she was most of the time but after meeting her Seto knew better than to doubt her ability.

'I want their power!' he thought greedily as they got into their limo. Yes the woman oozed power and so did all of her top students. One of which he had now recently become. He would do whatever it took to have what Aoshi Shinomori, Kenshin Himura and Sano Sagara had already acquired. He flinched slightly as he realized this weekend would be filled with difficult physical challenges and strange tasks.

"_She's a hard taskmaster but for every task you complete successfully you come that much closer to achieving your goal of being The Strongest!"_

Thus had been Aoshi's sage advice when Seto accepted to become her student. When he had questioned why his first lesson would come from Sano Sagara and it would be on how to surf Aoshi had advised not to question her because all of it in the end would make him a greater man. He had thrown himself whole heartedly into Sano's lesson and surfing proved to be a more challenging sport than he had initially thought.

'And exhilarating in it's element of danger,' he thought as he looked out the window recalling the adrenaline rush of riding his first wave. Mokuba was on the phone talking to Misao again. It was now something of a daily ritual but Seto didn't mind.

'Yet another odd female or perhaps the psychos, the ditzes and the morons are the odd ones?' he wondered suddenly smirking amused. Misao Makimachi – fiancée of Aoshi Shinomori – was no blushing bride or ditzy cheerleader because she was also a one of Victoria Stillwater's top students.

'No…I would never underestimate her!' he thought recalling what he knew about the petit woman.

"Hey Mokuba ask her what she and Aoshi know about the F4. Didn't she date one of them high school?" he thought out loud. He laughed as within seconds he could hear Misao screaming what bunch of moronic over indulged quartet of idiots the F4 were. Mokuba looked alarmed for a moment then Misao calmed and as the two talked Mokuba was soon howling in laughter. His phone rang and he instantly recognized the number though it did not have a name attached to it on his caller id.

"Hey Aoshi…"

"_So you met the F4…_" Aoshi began a hint of amusement in his usually stoic voice.

"Yes and they're a bunch of morons…" Seto added with equal amusement.

"_Agreed…however Sensei says they might be useful in the future…_" Aoshi replied though he could hear the doubt in the older man's voice.

"Really? Now there's a surprise…" Seto added intrigued. Domyojin was predictable and seemed easy to manipulate perhaps in the alliance Sensei had planned Domyojin could be a useful partner. Perhaps that was her plan his new teacher was **_extremely_** good at getting whatever she wanted but he would hold speculation for now. Aoshi changed the subject and explained that Misao had indeed dated Rui Hanazawa one summer during high school.

However Hanazawa had a tendency to ignore the girl he was with if she did not immediately surrender to his sexual desires. So since Misao didn't quickly jump into bed with him he fell asleep while she was talking. Incensed Misao beat the crap out of him to teach him a lesson about being respectful of the person that you are dating.

"Well I bet he didn't get a second date!" Seto laughed and his admiration for Misao went up another notch.

"_No he most certainly did not and he and the F4 were persona non-grata at the Aoiya restaurant in Tokyo and in Kyoto unless accompanied by their parents until last year,_" Aoshi added and chuckled slightly. The Aoiya chain of restaurants was a very high-class chain of Japanese restaurants that Misao's family owned. There were three in Japan, three in the USA and four more in Europe with plans of further expansion in the US, Asia and Australia.

"I wonder since Ms. Makino is here if they'll be banned from the Domino Aoiya!" Seto laughed infering from Tsukushi's record that the F4 would be a common sight in Domino since she was here.

"_There is a very good chance of that,_" Aoshi answered again chuckling slightly as he explained Misao's uncle owned and operated that one and her uncles were extremely overzealous in their protection of Misao and held grudges for very long periods of time. Seto laughed wishing he could see the looks on their faces when they were not admitted. The limo finally arrived at the Kaiba Mansion and as they cemented their plans for the next day he hung up his phone. Mokuba continued to chatter on incessantly with Misao as he got out and it wasn't until Seto finally told him it was time for dinner that Mokuba actually said good night and hung up his phone.

Mokuba talked and talked at dinner time informing him of everything he'd learned about Tsukushi and her friends. He talked also about how he looked forward to spending the weekend in Kyoto helping Misao with preparations. Apparently Mokuba had some important part to play at the wedding. According to Mokuba there would be two separate ceremonies: a traditional Japanese ceremony in Kyoto on Valentine's Day and a western style one in Colorado the next week because Aoshi's stepbrother Hajime and his family can't make the long trip to Japan with their new born baby.

"I'm still not sure we can go to both of them Mokuba," he replied solemnly. The look of disappointment his little brother gave him snapped his heart in two. Yes contrary to what anyone – especially Anzu – said he did have one and Mokuba was currently the only person on earth capable of affecting it! He sighed heavily resigned to letting his little brother have his way…partially at least!

"Let me amend that: I'm not sure that **_I_** can go to both of them," he corrected tiredly. He explained that there was much work to do at Kaiba Corp and his new training was taking a lot of time away from work.

"But Tsukushi… I know she can help you!" Mokuba protested with a pleading look in his eyes that almost crumbled Seto's resolve. Almost…

"Mokuba just because she shows more promise than her predecessors that doesn't mean she'll be around long enough or be ready to take over if I'm gone for a long period of time by then," he explained seriously. Mokuba completely deflated and he cast his eyes down to his plate picking halfheartedly at his food.

"I understand big brother…" he sighed dejectedly. They continued to eat in silence and Mokuba did not look up once from his plate and his usually cheerful dinner time chatter completely stopped. Seto had not realized how hard this news would hit his little brother. Two years ago he would've cared less if Mokuba stopped talking or dropped dead. In fact he had come very close to killing his little brother for losing a match against Yugi in the Death-T incident two years ago.

But Seto was no longer the murderous out of control psycho he was then in the days before he met Yugi. He still lusted for power to be sure and still had no qualms about killing anyone who endangered his little brother or tried to take his company or his Blue Eyes White Dragons! He still dreamed of winning and being the best but it was no longer a dangerous all consuming fire in him. His fateful acquaintance with Yugi Motou led him to acquire something he had not had before: patience.

"Tell you what Mokuba if Ms. Makino shows that she can preform to my standards in the next two weeks I will go to Colorado," Seto added taking a small measure of satisfaction on the joy and hope this little bargain lit in his brother's eyes.

"She can do it! I can feel it! I know she'll work out good big brother! Woo hoo!" Mokuba whooped and cheered then resumed his happy feasting and chattering. Seto smirked slightly and listened as he ate quietly.

'Well Ms. Makino I hope you really do work out because if you disappoint my little brother it'll cost you more than your job,' he thought with ruthless determination. Yes she was interesting and showed much potential but he would have no problems with squashing her like bug if her failure broke his brother's heart. As Mokuba was finishing his dessert Roland came in to say good night and let him know the perimeter on the Kaiba Estate was secured and locked down for the evening.

"Oh Roland make sure you and your men thank Ms. Makino tomorrow morning," Seto added as Roland was turning to leave. The man gave him a confused look. Mokuba giggled.

"She saved your jobs!" Mokuba piped up cheerfully grinning ear to ear. Roland still looked confused and was opening his mouth to ask but Seto didn't let him.

"I was going to fire you and hand your job to Ms. Hoshizaki because she _really was_ doing a better job than you but I like her better as my secretary so consider this a verbal warning," Seto intoned solemnly. Roland bowed solemnly.

"I understand Mr. Kaiba…it will not happen again," the older man replied gravely looking slightly pale.

"For your sake I hope not," Seto responded finally dismissing his head of security. Mokuba continued to smile and chomped down on the last bit of chocolate pie. He happily skipped on over to his big brother and hugged him before he excused himself to go get ready for bed. Seto watched him go for a moment then got up to go to his home office. There was still much work to be done if he wanted to be free this weekend for his training.

He turned on his computer and was just getting back into his reports when Mokuba walked into the office once more. He looked like he'd just walked out of the shower with his hair still wet and fresh pj's on. Again he sat with his brother and watched him work for a little longer chatting on incessantly then finally tired he hugged his brother once more and said good night. He lost track of time as he worked but when he finally stopped to look at how much work he'd done he decided it was fairly under control for now. He was tired and wanted to get some sleep.

"I'll just check my email then go to bed," he decided opening his personal email which he knew was usually empty save for the odd annoying message from Yugi and the twerps or Mai or sometimes even Aoshi on a very rare occasion and only when it pertained to his training. This time however a new name appeared one he'd actually been looking forward to seeing.

"Another interesting female…" he said softly studying the e-mail's contents intently:

"_Hi Seto… Thanks for helping me set up my computer this afternoon. This is the drawing I told you about over the phone I hope you like it. _

_Cassandra"_

That's all the email said but attached to it was a drawing of a majestic red and black dragon. Its black wings were spread out and it crouched on all fours glowering at Seto looking as if it would jump out of the screen and roast him instantly. It was a full color drawing. She had used simple crayons and pencils to create light and darkness effects in a way he hadn't seen come from his art department in much too long for his standards. Its horns gleamed frighteningly in the sunshine and its shadow darkened the grass below it ominously.

"Whoa…" Seto drawled out softly as a little feral smirk tugged at his lips. Cassandra Frasier was a foreign exchange student who had come from Colorado Springs in the USA to do her last semester of high school at Domino High. He had met her last Sunday at Kaiba Land after she trounced several top gamers at a flight simulator game. She had in fact come dangerously close to beating even _his_ top score which was what caught his attention to begin with!

As he talked to the girl he became intrigued with the fact that she was not an airhead like most girls his age but was also not ruthless or abrupt. She was polite without being a suck up. She spoke only to say something intelligent. She had a somewhat dark sense of humor that had appealed to him and best of all when he spoke about his work he didn't have to explain every little detail to her because she was very bright with obviously high academic prowess and superior artistic talent.

"So many interesting people…" Seto thought out loud as he saved the picture on to his hard drive. She had not really needed his help this afternoon all she needed was a download on a graphic design program because her version was outdated. Seto had promised to provide it and help her set it up but Cassandra was able to do it pretty much on her own asking only the occasional technical question. Most of their conversation had been about Cassandra's favorite artistic subject: Dragons!

He finally switched off his computer and stood up. As he made his way back to his room he found himself looking forward to both school tomorrow morning and work in the afternoon. The more he came in contact with people like Aoshi, Tsukushi and Cassandra and heck even the F4 he felt less isolated. He had thought the world full of useless idiots and fearful paid for yes-men and it had made him feel alone and paranoid.

These feelings contributed to the out of control murderous phase he'd been in following the death of Gozaburo Kaiba who jumped out the top story window of the Kaiba Corp building when he lost his company to his adopted son Seto. Now however the chaos that was in his mind then had calmed and the more he learned about people like himself the stronger he felt.

"Yes tomorrow will be a good day…" he thought as he turned off his light…

* * *

Ok sorry it's taking so long but this is starting to merge with the Seto story that I have yet to transfer from my note books. I know I got a little Seto heavy in this chapter but I needed to set down where Seto is coming from and how Tsukushi will be affecting him as well as the people and circumstances that will shape their future friendship and business relationship. Hey Wishingstar I haven't decided yet whether Seto will fall for Tsukushi...perhaps a triangle? Stay tuned!

I'm also having a little trouble getting Tsukasa's character right hopefully I'll be able to fix any out of character behavior by the next installment.

Thank you for your patience and for reading and reviewing!


	4. Let's Duel!

**The Job**

**Disclaimer****: **I don't own Boys over Flowers, Yugioh, Stargate SG1 and Rurouni Kenshin.

I read this awful manga a long time ago…. Seriously what were you thinking! She's the person who swore I really needed to read it and after I forced myself to read three books I told her I'd had enough! I hated the main boys with a passion and I couldn't stand how utterly _**stupid**_ and completely unlikable the main girl was. However, I fell completely in love with one character. The girl's brother who is just sweet and caring and tried so hard to protect the stupid, idiot moron girl and got completely _**shafted**_ in the ending despite his noble efforts! So I have made it my personal mission to rescue him from that awful ending the author threw at him. In fact this story was conceived partly to save him from that ending. So here he is: Shinogu Narita! Let's all give him a warm welcome! For the sake of disclaiming he's from Hot Topic. I am happy to say that I absolutely _**do not**_ own that manga! And I never will! Grrrrrr….

* * *

**Chapter 4: Let's Duel!**

* * *

Tsukasa did not say a word on the ride back. Tsukushi was assigned a company car and driver so Tsukasa had jumped in the vehicle with her while the rest of the boys followed in their rented limo. He was stewing…he was likely still mad about her choosing to remain at Kaiba Corp. When they arrived at the beautiful and quiet complex he looked around with suspicion and something else…something she had never really seen in him: _Fear_.

Before she had a chance to ask him what was going on Rui, Sojiro and Akira caught up with them. Noisily they went into the elevator to the 25th floor penthouse of the central tower in the three building complex. It was an old but well cared for complex but according to Tsukushi's guards only 2 thirds of the complex was occupied. Many engineers had quit following Gozaburo's demise because they wanted to continue their weapons research in other companies.

"Many of the company's older employees disagreed with Master Kaiba changing the company's mission to gaming development," the guard concluded. Tsukushi thought this might alleviate some of Tsukasa's concerns. After all, gaming was a mostly harmless enterprise but he continued to brood.

"Yea…I'm sure that's why they left," Tsukasa grumbled under his breath. Tsukushi was about to retort when the guard spoke again.

"You're right…some left because they had ties to the yakuza groups Mr. Shinomori and Oniwaban took out," the guard continued as he unlocked Tsukushi's private elevator lobby. There were only two apartments on this level. He explained that they had remained at Kaiba Corp at first because the continued animosity between Shinomori Corp. and Kaiba Corp provided them some protection. Now that Shinomori and Kaiba were friends – and soon to be business allies – that protection had expired.

"How interesting…" Tsukushi thought as she unlocked the door to her new apartment. The first thing she thought of was the moron who had ignored her first. But all speculation suddenly flew out of her head as she opened the door. Her jaw dropped…the view of her new apartment was – in one word – stunning!

"Oh wow…" she said softly. The penthouse level consisted of two apartments. The living room was the first place you walked into to and it had a huge panoramic window across it that took in a spectacular view of Domino. Directly adjacent to it was an elegantly appointed dining room. Her new apartment had a huge master bedroom with a private balcony, a double sink bathroom and a large tub. It had two large regular bedrooms across the hall from the master bedroom and a large bathroom at the end of that hall.

"Oh wow!" she repeated more excitedly as she threw her purse down on the very plush and elegant couch with an expensive entertainment system mounted on the wall. On the opposite end of the house was a large kitchen and adjacent to it was a medium sized service area complete with washer, dryer and a small semi -secluded balcony with retractable hanging wires. Tsukushi was surprised to find also a small servant's quarters next to the washer room. It came complete with a small yet fully equipped bathroom.

"This is great!" Tsukushi enthused as she plopped herself down on the couch where Rui had already made himself comfortable. Sojiro and Akira had opened the windows and were looking out at Domino wondering where the good clubs in Domino were. Her bodyguards were still standing by the door.

"Ma'am we will return in the morning. The work day starts at 7am we will return then to pick you up," he announced solemnly. She sat up quickly and stopped him.

"What was your name again?" she stopped wanting to make sure she knew who she would be dealing with every morning and evening.

"My name is Sukoru and my partner is Zeru. I live in the level right below," replied the man solemnly and explained that Zeru had been temporarily removed from the Kaiba Estate due to a shortness of staff in the Kaiba building's security personnel. She nodded firmly and walked towards them.

"Make it six o'clock! I want to get an early start," she ordered firmly. They nodded solemnly and after saying good night they walked out closing the door behind them. Rui, Akira and Sojiro decided to head out to find some night life. Tsukushi let them go and gave them a key so they wouldn't make her get up to let them in. Tsukasa was still quiet while the others noisily left to find some "action".

"Why didn't you go with them?" she asked yawning tiredly as she headed back to the master bedroom.

"Tsukushi…I'm serious I don't want you to work for this guy," he insisted with single-minded determination. Tsukushi rolled her eyes and turned to give him a piece of her mind. Her mouth opened but she held back the lecture she was about to shoot at him. The look on his face was unlike anything she'd ever seen.

"Please…" he repeated softly. The fear in his eyes was something very foreign so she changed her track.

"Why are you so adamant against this?" softening her tone. He grabbed her shoulders and looked her in the eye. His face was completely transformed by fear.

"This isn't like high school! This isn't rich brats playing pranks! This guy is for _real_!" he pleaded desperately. Tsukushi's concern died instantly as her hackles rose. She pushed him away and pulled off her jacket.

"Are you implying that I was in no "_real_" danger back then? Shall I write you up a list of all the things I went through because of your stupid red tag! How dare you?" she yelled at him tossing her jacket on the bed.

"In case you forgot…I was in REAL danger! I was in danger of starving, getting beaten, raped and oh yea…I still have the scars from that convertible, do you want to see?" she continued hollering at him not giving him a chance to reply as she pulled her sleeves up to show him the scratch marks on her elbow.

"People DIE around Kaiba Tsukushi! They DIE! You can't take back death! You can't apologize for it and no amount of revenge can bring you back from death!" he yelled back desperate and afraid cutting her tirade off.

"You can yell at me all you want and punish me for being a stupid kid for the rest of my life! I don't care as long as you're _**alive**_!" he insisted and the level of distress and vulnerability in Tsukasa surprised Tsukushi and kept her silent.

"I'm not that idiot boy anymore but I can't prove it if you're dead," he ended more softly. His eyes were an open door giving Tsukushi a full view of Tsukasa's real feelings. Tsukasa had never really loved anything or anyone until he met Tsukushi. She loved him but she wasn't sure she was quite ready for the kind of commitment that lurked underneath Tsukasa's plea. She needed to strike out on her own…to make her own mark in the world.

"Tsukasa I _need_ to do this…for some reason I feel like I'm meant to be here…that my destiny – no – our destinies are here. I need you to understand," she began more softly this time reaching up to touch his face. He grabbed her hand pulling her close holding that hand to his chest.

"I need you _alive_! I'm no good without you…" he added softly he added baring his soul as much as he had ever been able to. It gave Tsukushi pause but she could not be deterred from this course. The fact that Tsukasa was being so insistent wouldn't have been enough to discourage her but the level of fear he was projecting certainly made her think.

"Give me a little time…I will prove to you that this is a good move…not just for me and my family but for the two of us as well," she insisted reaching up with her other hand to touch his face. His brow furrowed in disappointment and anger then melted away to wry amusement.

"Stubborn woman… you never let me have it my way," he countered pulling her hand up to his lips to kiss her fingers softly. She smiled surprised by this sudden show of out of character gallantry.

"But isn't that why you like me?" she teased lightly. Again his expression turned serious and her heart skipped a beat from the look in his eyes.

"That's why I love you," he rejoined solemnly. It stopped Tsukushi in her tracks. Tsukasa had never made such an open declaration in years. She tensed for a moment waiting for when he would revert back to his spoiled bratty self and take back what he said.

"And I'm not taking it back," he insisted forcefully "I love you! There! I said it again! Convinced yet?" he asked a fierce and uncharacteristic determination in his eyes. She smiled up at him.

"Yes, I'm convinced. I love you too," she replied and then he kissed her…

Tsukushi attacked the next day with a super burst of energy and determination. Tsukasa had insisted that if she wasn't going to come back that at least he be able to hire one security person that he knew for sure he could trust. To her surprise Roland was incredibly accommodating in this regard and by noon that day a girl about two or three years older than Tsukushi had already been hired.

Her name was Anko and she didn't quite look like a bodyguard. At first glance she looked like some cheerful college girl. She wore the black suit that was common for Kaiba's security and right away hit it off with the other security guys. Roland though let Tsukushi know that she was a freelance agent of Oniwaban Security Services and that she was a highly skilled warrior. Anko insisted sitting in for her secretary until she could hire a properly trained one. She hated sitting around doing nothing.

But Tsukasa's interventions didn't end there. He bought her a brand new car fully decked out with every gizmo and luxury known to the automobile industry and insisted she use it. She suspected the car was somehow wired so he could keep tabs on her every day and she was sure the new celphone that came with it was too. She found that she didn't really mind.

She called her mother to let her know how things were going. Her family would wait until her brother's up-coming school spring break to move in with her. He would transfer to Domino High and the boy was jazzed at the thought of going to school with Seto Kaiba and Yugi Motou - his Duel Monsters heroes!

It seemed her tenure at Kaiba Corp was off to a good start! By the time that Seto arrived – still wearing his high school uniform – she had reports from every department on his desk. Once he finished changing into his business suit she had her notepad in her hand and was seated at the small conference room table. She was ready to fill him in on the day's activities.

"Oh and the inspectors called and said they would be coming tomorrow to begin the safety inspections for the Kaibaland Park attractions," Tsukushi explained she had obtained an estimated timetable for the inspections. Kaibaland Park was Seto's post-Battle City project. A theme park based on Seto's favorite pastime: Duel Monsters!

Her little brother asked her last night if she could score him tickets for the highly anticipated Duel Monsters theme park called Kaibaland Park – companion to the Kaibaland Arcade adjacent to the Kaiba Corp. main building. Fortunately, Roland had let her know her family would receive VIP invites for the opening week. Her little brother was ecstatic! Her mother was also happy to know that she would soon meet her daughter's most infamous and rich new boss!

"Now sir about opening week…have you decided what you want to do?" Tsukushi asked banishing the memory of her mother asking Tsukushi if Seto was married or if he had a girlfriend. The woman would never rest until Tsukushi married one of the many rich handsome men she seemed to always be surrounded by.

"I'm throwing a duel monsters competition but I've decided to keep it more low key," began Seto. Tsukushi made notes as Seto explained that he was going to invite only the most elite competitors from the countries where Duel Monsters was most popular. He would narrow the list to about 16 people.

"The duels will be dispersed in the space of the whole week," Seto continued pensively as he looked out the window.

"Will you be participating?" Tsukushi asked. Seto was quiet for a moment then shook his head. He looked sad for a second and for that moment she could actually see the teenager Seto – not the ruthless, genius, badass owner of Kaiba Corp.

"No…I have too much on my plate and I wasted too much time last year in Battle City," he paused and Tsukushi realized then that the game wasn't just an excuse to battle Yugi or to randomly humiliate people who annoyed him; it was something that he truly _loved_ to do. She could see it cost him dearly to say no to a duel monsters tournament. She made a mental note to get her brother to teach her about duel monsters. She would learn more about what her boss loved most even if it meant learning a little dueling.

"The winner of the competition will win a duel with the King of Games," Seto declared switching back to his usual tough guy voice. He gave her a list of the duelists he had thought most useful for promoting Kaibaland Park.

Some were long retired yet fairly well known, others in junior leagues showing much promise. She noted that most were well known for other things then their dueling skills, for example Ms. Rebecca Hawkins was the youngest person in the world to receive a college degree. She had been 10 years old at her graduation. She was now 12 and working on an engineering master's degree. Mr. Soguroku Motou was a retired – yet well-known – archeologist, aside from being the famous Yugi Motou's grandfather.

There was a plastic surgeon and a detective and a renowned environmentalist with a very odd personality quirk. There was even a popular and beautiful young kung fu actress and an American Country music singer! They discussed the opening of the amusement park the most because it seemed that Seto's current drive focused completely around the event. Even though it was still weeks away the park was foremost in her intense boss' mind…

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_**The following Friday…**_

_Keith Watts – head of the Internal Computer Systems Dept – glanced furtively behind trying to make sure no one had followed him. Confident that none of Kaiba's mercs were around he continued on his way to the rendezvous point._

_He would've preferred a more secluded location but realized that hiding in plain sight was the smarter choice for this transaction. He parked his car, entered the mall just a couple of blocks from Kaiba Corp and sat at a table in the food court to wait for his meeting._

"_Good Afternoon Mr. Watts," said a silky male voice with a slight German accent. A young man in a deep purple suit and his hair dyed pink sat in front of him smiling politely at him. The smile had a chilling effect on Watts and for a moment he wondered whether it was really such a good idea to sell out Kaiba. He hated the brat but this guy scared him._

"_Good afternoon Mr. Von Schroeder…I have what you wanted," Watts replied wanting to get this over with as quickly as possible._

"_Straight to the point… excellent Mr. Watts. I appreciate expedience. But please the name is Lloyd…Siegfried Lloyd. I trust everything is in order," the young man replied still smiling politely. Watts was sweating by now and wanted to be away from this young man as soon as possible. If Kaiba ever found out what he was up to with Lloyd - he'd be dead meat!_

"_Yes the code is in the disk and you will be entered in the 16 contestants," Watts assured him pulling out a small data disk from his pocket. Siegfried reached for the disk but Watts held on to it._

"_What about my pay?" Watts added roughly. Siegfried smiled coldly sending a deathly chill down Watts' spine. _

"_Ah yes! Of course," said the young man as he pulled out his blackberry and typed in a few quick commands. He smiled chillingly._

"_There…it has been deposited into the account you have provided us. You may check if you wish," he added politely. Watts did just that since he had his own blackberry out and his account was set to send him a confirmation message when the deposit was made. Once he received the confirmation he let go of the disk which quickly disappeared into Siegfried's jacket._

"_It was good doing business with you…Have a good day Mr. Lloyd," Watts said getting up from the table. He needed to get back to the office before he arouses any suspicions._

"_Oh but won't you join me for a friendly lunch?" the young man teased. He was obviously aware of Watts' discomfort. Watts made an effort to calm him self._

"_No thank you Mr. Lloyd. I've already had lunch…I must return to my office now I have much work to do," he replied with a polite bow and a feeble attempt at a cheerful smile. Quickly, he walked back to the parking lot and hurried back to his routine before anyone would suspect him._

_The young man at the table smiled evilly as he played with the little data card in his hand._

"_Oh Ger-Kaiba your end is near," Siegfried said softly chuckling evilly to himself before getting up to and walking away…_

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So Tsukushi spent the weekend in the office acclimating herself to Kaiba Corp much to Tsukasa's displeasure. By the time Monday morning arrived, the F4 – mostly Tsukasa - admitted defeat and returned to Tokyo. Tsukushi was left with a promise that they would return the following weekend so she attacked the rest of her week with vigor unseen in any of her predecessors! She stayed late nights in the office working hard to get in step with her very intense and hardworking boss.

Seto Kaiba was tough beyond his age! He could spend hours working tirelessly and still have energy for his brother. He made some heroic efforts for him and it was heartwarming catching them in those very rare moments when he would smile or laugh at something Mokuba said or did. It worried Tsukushi though that he didn't seem to take much time for himself.

Did he have friends his age? Did he have a girlfriend? Did he go out on dates? It didn't seem so to Tsukushi and it seemed kinda sad that he didn't take some time out to be a regular teenager. She thought perhaps that's why he loved tournaments so much. It was really the only time he got to be a kid. She would keep her eyes peeled and see if there was a way for her boss to enjoy those brief and turbulent years of teenage-hood. After all, even she had managed a few dances and dates and fun in high school.

She wondered perhaps if that's why his sensei made him go to school once a week. He obviously didn't need it for academic purposes! She pondered all these things as she labored intensely to be the best EA in Kaiba Corp history. But despite her best efforts and a heroic save in the art department – it became obvious to Tsukushi that her boss needed more than one assistant. She had learned in her years with the F4 that pride always goes before a fall and she was not to proud to admit when she needed a little help.

The vacuum of power left by Kaiba Corp's big five meant that there were a lot of sneaky, rotten bastards just waiting to strike at Seto Kaiba if they got wind of any weaknesses. Her instincts told her that some of Kaiba Corp's key managers were up to something. She couldn't put her finger on what exactly was going on but she had the distinct feeling there were a few sneaky bastards plotting against him.

'He needs to have more people loyal to him up here,' Tsukushi thought as she read a report from the human resources department. She tried to concentrate but she had noticed a suspicious man at lunchtime talking to the head of the Internal Computer Systems department. She had gone to the shopping mall a couple blocks down with Anko to get a little exercise and a sweet snack when she had recognized the ass that had ignored her on the first day. The way he was sitting and talking in hushed tones with the other man at a partially hidden table gave Tsukushi a bad feeling.

'I wonder if I should have called him at school,' she thought for the tenth time since she rushed back from lunch. Her boss attended high school on Friday mornings on orders from his sensei. Though _**who**_ this sensei – who was so mysterious and apparently powerful enough to give orders to her boss was – was still to her (and almost everyone else) unknown. The only ones who seemed to know were Roland and Mokuba – and oddly enough her guard/secretary Anko – but they weren't talking!

Her intercom buzzed then snapping her out of her reveries. Lynn's soft, sweet voice came on letting her know Mr. Kaiba had arrived. Tsukushi grabbed her pad and hurried towards his office intent on reporting what she had seen. The only bright spot right now was that Tsukushi's best friend Yuki had been hired to be her executive secretary. That at least increased the number of allies but Yuki wouldn't start her new job until Monday.

"Ms. Makino! What do you have for me?" he barked out his usual Friday afternoon greeting. Quickly she ran through the morning activities with a recap of the week. Tsukushi realized that going to school always put him in a somewhat bad mood. Today though he seemed a little more intense than usual.

"Make sure the art department sends you a thank you note. I was getting ready to re-staff it," Seto offered by way of a compliment as he perused the art samples for one of the new games. Tsukushi was already used to it. Her boss was not the type to be flowery but his brutal honesty and rough demeanor was refreshing to Tsukushi. She was utterly tired of the charming, handsome completely false guys and the two-faced twerps that surrounded her in Eitoku.

The art department had fallen woefully behind on its deadlines and it was the first thing Tsukushi attacked at the beginning of the week. By switching assignments around and sending people out on little field trips to art galleries and manga stores, she had revitalized the artists. By Friday morning they had done 2 weeks' worth of work.

"My sensei has recommended that I add one more person to my upper management group," he suddenly threw at her then paused in his perusal of the reports and gave her a hard look. It caught Tsukushi a little off guard since she was still thinking about the suspicious guy from lunch.

"Really? That's great! Do you have someone in mind?" Tsukushi replied excitedly silently thanking the all-wise and wonderful yet unknown Sensei for his or her clairvoyance. His face changed and he looked surprised.

"It doesn't bother you to have to share power?" Seto asked. Tsukushi waved the notion away.

"No way! You need allies, sir! The more the merrier is what I say," she countered cheerfully. Seto merely smirked in amusement.

"And if you don't mind my saying… I have a feeling we are going to need plenty of allies soon," she added a little more softly. Seto leaned in closer.

"Why?" he asked simply with a very ruthless look on his face. Quickly she told him what she had seen earlier and her observations throughout the week. He just listened quietly and said nothing finally he tapped on the intercom and called Roland in. He looked at the reports on his desk concentrating on the one about the Internal Computer Systems department. Roland walked in seconds after summoning.

"Roland, have Watts followed and get one of your men to back up all our computer records," Seto instructed roughly.

"Do complete new background checks on everyone in his department, especially Watts! And make sure _**no one**_ knows about this," Seto added in a low very ruthless scary tone. Roland merely nodded and Tsukushi got the distinct impression that he enjoyed being sent to do sneaky stuff. Tsukushi smiled and relaxed a little.

"You have good instincts Ms. Makino. I have been suspicious for some time though I was reluctant to move without more concrete proof," Seto commented as Roland left the office.

"I'm telling you…we need more allies," whispered Tsukushi conspiratorially. Seto nodded slowly in agreement. He opened his mouth to say more but the intercom sounded and Lynn announced his appointment had arrived.

"Just so you know Ms. Makino. Like you, I have already hired him based solely on who referred him," he added with an amused smirk. "In fact, I have a feeling you might know him. He also did an internship at Shinomori electronics," Seto added apparently very amused by the coincidence.

"Really? Who is it?" she asked feeling slightly buoyed by having an ally who could be immediately trusted. Seto just smirked as the door opened and Lynn led a tall, solemn, dark haired man in to the conference room. He was a few inches shorter but he could almost pass for Aoshi Shinomori himself! He bowed to Seto and he moved forward to shake hands with his new boss. Tsukushi had to keep herself from squealing.

"Shinogu! It's so good to see you!" she exclaimed as she moved forward to shake his hand. Yea, she absolutely knew Shinogu. He had been a law school graduate trying to get into a permanent position at Shinomori Electronics. He smirked just a little and returned her greeting in a calm warm manner.

"Good…you know each other. Let's get to work," Kaiba ordered. The first order of business was dividing up the work.

Shinogu would be in charge of Legal and Human Resources. They were pretty large sections and needed more careful attention. Tsukushi would handle finance, manufacturing, marketing and distribution. Leaving Mr. Kaiba to concentrate on what he did best: game and technology development. They all agreed that at some point they would hire a Public Relations person but at the moment they were confident they did not need one.

"I want all of us to know everything the others are doing. I don't want any surprises! Especially during the opening of the park," Seto concluded as they put Shinogu up to speed.

"Sir…given the situation might I suggest that Tsukushi be the one to give me the tour?" he began. He explained that by allowing Tsukushi to take charge it would show that Seto was delegating all his work to his E.A.s and it might lure the traitor into a false sense of security.

"Of course! He might think that Mr. Kaiba's slipping or losing confidence because he's handing control to a couple of newbies. Then he'll slip up and we can catch him in the act!" exclaimed Tsukushi slamming her fist into her hand. She was impressed! The man didn't miss a beat! Seto smirked just a little, pleased by the way his new E.A.s were thinking.

"I have one more thing that might lend to the ruse…" Seto began thoughtfully. Shinogu and Tsukushi exchanged a look of confusion but before they could ask anything their boss sent them away to follow their commands. He scribbled an address on a piece of paper and told them both to be there on Sunday morning.

"You can bring those idiots from the F4. They should fit in nicely with the crowd I want you two to meet," Mr. Kaiba added with an amused chuckle. Tsukushi looked at him with suspicion but shrugged it off. She had learned in the week she'd been at Kaiba Corp that her boss had and odd sense of humor. She told as much to Shinogu as the two walked away to the tour.

Shinogu and Tsukushi quickly reacquainted with each other. Tsukushi insisted Shinogu keep Yuki as his secretary. Anko proposed they just leave her in the position of Tsukushi's secretary. It would make it less obvious that she was a bodyguard. It was an idea that appealed to Roland so he left Anko there. Tsukushi couldn't really complain. The woman was quite efficient and pleasant to have around.

In time it would become apparent to all the staff that Shinogu was the exact opposite of Tsukushi. Tsukushi was cheerful and open. Shinogu was calm and mysterious. They were both also perfect compliments to their boss who was intense, ruthless and most of the time cold-hearted. They humanized him in a way that until then had been the sole domain of his brother. They made him a more approachable boss.

Tsukushi spent the weekend helping Yuki move in to her new apartment in the Kaiba Corp housing complex. Shinogu alternated between the office and moving into his own apartment: The penthouse opposite Tsukushi's. Roland transferred Sukoru to Shinogu and sent Zeru back to the Kaiba Estate for grounds guard duty. He left Anko with Tsukushi. Tsukasa had added a bodyguard/maid who would take care of her at home when Anko went home to her apartment one floor down.

"Come on are you guys coming or not!" Tsukushi called out from the entrance of her apartment. Akira, Rui and Sojiro had come again with Tsukasa to hang out on the weekend with Tsukushi but had spent Friday and Saturday night partying. It was noon already and they were still passed out in the two guest rooms of her house. She rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Let's just go…they are never getting up," said Tsukasa in a bored tone. He had not gone with them either night so he had been up every morning with Tsukushi. He didn't let her out of his sight!

"Alright, let's go," Tsukushi relented with a sigh. The cheerful maid handed her Tsukushi's purse and keys.

"Thank you Ms. Sanada. Please make sure my guests are well taken care of but if they get fresh with you feel free to give them a practical demonstration of your martial arts skills!" Tsukushi added. She had noted on their arrival that Akira and Sojiro had not let up bothering the pretty and cheerful maid despite her polite and adamant refusals.

"Yes maam!" the pretty dark-haired girl replied cheerfully. She waved them goodbye as she stood by the door waiting for them to get in the elevator. She knocked on Shinogu's door much to Tsukasa's displeasure. Tsukasa had – of course – disliked Shinogu from the instant he met him for no other reason than that he looked like Aoshi Shinomori. Why Tsukasa hated Mr. Shinomori so much… she did not know. Tsukasa for some reason did not feel like sharing.

"Sorry to keep you waiting…I'm afraid I have not made much headway with my apartment," he said as he came out looking somewhat flustered. Tsukushi frowned. He greeted Tsukasa very politely and formally. Tsukasa barely acknowledged him. He turned to lock his door and they walked to the elevator.

"If you don't mind I can send Ms. Sanada to lend you a hand," Tsukushi offered. Ms. Sanada suddenly appeared next to Tsukushi smiling cheerfully, ready to serve. Ms. Sanada – like Yuki – liked Shinogu very much! Tsukushi found this all very amusing. He looked surprised for a moment then he smiled a little.

"Thank you Tsukushi, Ms. Sanada for your kind offer but my mother and one of my sisters are coming tomorrow and will be staying the week to assist me," Shinogu replied bowing slightly. Ms. Sanada visibly deflated but quickly her cheerful smile returned.

"As of Monday I will be officially under Kaiba corp. payroll! So if your mother or your sister needs anything please make sure they do not hesitate to call on me!" Ms. Sanada cheerfully declared. The elevator opened and she held the door opened for the three of them to step in. Sukoru and Yuki were in the elevator already. Yuki's smile went just a little wider as Shinogu stepped in the elevator with Tsukushi and Tsukasa.

"Good Morning Mr. Shinogu!" she greeted perkily. Only at the last second did she remember to greet Tsukushi and Tsukasa. Shinogu acknowledged her greeting formally. Shinogu then turned to Tsukushi and asked her if she knew where they were going. Tsukushi shook her head though it sounded like Shinogu did know.

"Do _you_ know?" she asked. He frowned but nodded. Mr. Kaiba had asked them to dress casual for this meeting so Tsukushi and Shinogu were both in jeans, sneakers and t-shirts. Yuki was wearing more of a date-like summer dress.

"Yes, I passed by it on my way back home last night. We're going to the Kame Game Shop," he explained solemnly. Tsukushi's eyes went wide. The Kame Game shop was the shop owned by Yugi Motou's grandfather. Yugi Motou is Seto Kaiba's only rival and the current title holder of the King of Games. He defended successfully said title during last year's Kaiba corp. sponsored Battle City tournament.

"So we're going to meet Mr. Kaiba's duel monsters rival…" she concluded wondering at the same time if this was part of Mr. Kaiba's plan to lure out his saboteurs. Shinogu seemed to agree.

"But we will have to wait until we get there to know for sure. He may just want us there when he invites him to his Kaibaland opening," he added. Tsukushi nodded agreeing with him as they reached the underground parking lot. Anko was standing next to Tsukushi's car wearing a pair of _very_ _short _shorts. Sukoru gave her a disapproving look – he was still wearing his Kaiba Corp black suit – then led his small group towards their car.

"I'll see you there," Shinogu called out solemnly. Tsukushi waved back and chuckled a little as Yuki practically skipped along next to Shinogu grinning like a maniac. They got in the car and Tsukasa grumbled annoyed at having to be around Kaiba. Tsukushi had worked most of the weekend but Kaiba had not shone up once all weekend and that at least had been a small blessing to Tsukasa.

"I just don't like the guy," he grumbled. Tsukushi just shook her head.

"Really? Cuz I think he's kinda cute!" called Anko cheerfully out from the driver's seat.

"Of course you do! You Oniwaban chicks are weird!" Tsukasa retorted angrily. Tsukushi groaned but Anko just laughed.

"Yea I guess you're right!" she laughed. It didn't take them long to reach the store. The shop was actually a few blocks from Domino high school in a busy and convenient intersection. Shinogu got out of the car and held the door for Yuki. Mr. Kaiba's limo was parked already on the side of the shop. There seemed to be a lot of teens coming in and out of the shop.

"It looks like a popular teen hang out," Shinogu noted as little knots of teens were seen coming and going from the shop. Kaiba corp. tower could be seen in the distance to the northeast of the shop. The school could be seen towards the west. Lots of teen noise was coming from the shop.

"I think that's it! I bet he's trying to make them think he's distracted…" Tsukushi said softly. Shinogu nodded. If Seto gave the appearance of being distracted with teenage concerns his enemies would become bolder. She said as much to Shinogu as they moved towards the shop. Sukoru and Anko stayed by the cars as Tsukasa, Tsukushi, Shinogu and Yuki moved towards the shop.

"I think you might be right," Shinogu agreed and they opened the door to join their boss and his high-school "friends"…

* * *

I like Tsukushi/Tsukasa pairings. Of the F4 I believe that Tsukasa is the only one capable of change. He seems the only one that can be molded and re-trained. I just don't see Rui ever moving past his obsession with Shizuka – whether he admits it or not. And Sojiro and Akira are just not capable of holding Tsukushi's interest. As for Kaiba – well sometimes even I don't know how a story will end! LOL

However, I must point out that Kaiba is a minor. So it is very unlikely that even if I entertained such a pairing as Kaiba/Tsukushi I could not really do this sort of paring at this point in Seto's timeline. Besides I have another story with Seto and he has other drama going on to be messing with Tsukushi right now. Right now I will concentrate on the dark plots surrounding Kaiba corp. and how Tsukushi and Shinogu will help him save his company.


End file.
